VU21358 Engage with a range of complex texts to participate in the community

Unit Code

VU21358

Unit Title

Engage with a range of complex texts to

participate in the community

Unit Descriptor

This unit develops the skills and knowledge to engage with a

range of structurally intricate paper based and digital text
types which are relevant to participation in the community and
which may include some specialisation and non routine
contexts.
The required outcomes described in this unit relate directly to
the Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF), (
Commonwealth of Australia, 2012). They contribute to the
achievement of ACSF indicators of competence at Level Four
(Reading): 4.03, 4.04.

Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.

Application of the Unit

This unit applies to those seeking to improve their community

participation options and who need to develop a range of
reading skills both in a paper based and digital context. These
skills provide the foundation for future activities to extend
reading skills to enable interpreting complex texts with
unfamiliar features.
The community can have a range of definitions, depending
on the learners situation. Community may signify local
environment in the case of rural or regional learners. While
community is most often defined geographically, it can also be
defined to include those with whom one shares an affinity or
interest, such as a group which meets, including over the
internet, for a common purpose. It also may be interpreted in a
broader more general sense, and mean society.
Where application is as part of the Certificate II in General
Education for Adults, it is recommended that application is
integrated with the delivery and assessment of Core Skills
writing unit: VU21362 Create a range of complex texts to
participate in the community. The link between reading and
writing across the different domains also encourages codelivery and assessment of additional units, such as VU21355
Engage with a range of complex texts for personal purposes
and VU21359 Create a range of complex texts for personal
purposes.

Element

Performance Criteria

Elements describe the

essential outcomes of a unit of
competency. Elements
describe actions or outcomes
that are demonstrable and
assessable.

Performance criteria describe the required performance needed to

demonstrate achievement of the element they identify the standard
for the element. Where bold/italicised text is used, further
information or explanation is detailed in the required skills and
knowledge and/or the range statement. Assessment of performance
is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

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VU21358 Engage with a range of complex texts to participate in the community

1.1

Examine a range of structurally intricate texts for

community participation

1.2

Define the features of texts

1.3

Confirm source of the texts

1.4

Select texts relevant to own community participation

needs

2 Analyse content in a
range of complex print
based and digital texts
relevant to community
participation

2.1

Apply a range of reading strategies to interpret the

texts

2.2

Summarise main ideas in texts

2.3

Identify and evaluate supporting materials

3 Critically evaluate a
range of complex print
based and digital texts
relevant to community
participation

3.1

Identify means used by the author to achieve the

purpose of the text

3.2

Apply a range of strategies to analyse texts

3.3

Assess the relevance of the texts to own purpose

1 Locate structurally
intricate print based and
digital texts relevant to
participation in the
community

Required Knowledge and Skills

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Required Knowledge:
a range of vocabulary including some specialised vocabulary to support comprehension
techniques used by writers to convey meaning and achieve purpose
understanding that a text reflects an authors culture, experiences and value system
understands that paper based and digital information may be represented differently
Required Skills:
problem solving skills to:

select and apply reading strategies to interpret and analyse texts

apply critical analysis skills to interpret and compare texts

assess relevance of texts to own purposes and needs

assess the validity of online information

oral communication skills to discuss features and content of texts to establish relevance
and effectiveness
technology skills to access and navigate screen based digital text to locate information of
some complexity

Range Statement
The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work
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VU21358 Engage with a range of complex texts to participate in the community

environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold / italicised wording in the
Performance Criteria is detailed below.

Structurally intricate texts for

community participation may
include

Features of texts include:

complex texts which include embedded information,

specialised vocabulary and abstraction and symbolism
digital, printed, handwritten and visual texts:

newspaper articles about community issues

council brochures, community newsletters, government

pamphlets

community directories

advertisements, leaflets about community matters,

political advertisements

letters from government/council or other organisations

community posters, graffiti, advertisements for

community events

surveys on everyday community matters, agenda and

minutes of community meetings

text structures which use a variety of sentence

structures and language features relevant to different
text types:

persuasive texts which use emotive and persuasive

language, include facts and opinion where the writers
bias may be explicit or implicit, include supporting
materials, may include opposing views on a subject and
might follow a standard format such as statement of
opinion, argument, summing up or recommendation

informative texts which use impersonal tone, numbered

outlines, discourse markers where the writers views
are expressed as facts, might include abstract nouns
that condense ideas, processes and descriptions, and
might follow a standard format such as general
statement, factual description, conclusion

procedural texts with sequential steps required to

achieve goals and which may be supported by
diagrams, icons, symbols

transactional texts such as letters with formal opening,

statement of purpose, details, request, action required,
formal close

explicit navigation features such headings, table of

contents, site map/ menus, numbered contents,
hyperlinks

tables, graphs or charts which contain data formatted

into a of a number of columns and rows

sentences:

complex syntactic structures including:

nominalisation

modality

linking devices to demonstrate conceptual connections

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VU21358 Engage with a range of complex texts to participate in the community

and/or causal relationships

words / phrases/ abbreviations:

vocabulary which creates nuances of meaning

those associated with personally relevant education,

recreation and leisure activities

vocabulary related to community environment

precise selection of vocabulary to convey shades of

meaning

numbers as whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and

percentages:

measures of distance, time using common

connected with money such as comparative costs of

community events, changes in benefits, alternative
travel arrangements

counting and measuring

visuals, symbols and logos:

Sources may include:

community and public facilities

names of service providers

retail outlets

community group
council
government department
advertising company
political party

Reading strategies include:

meaning-making strategies:

relating separate pieces of information within a text,

rather than treating them as separate units of
information

using knowledge of principal conventions of texts to

assist with constructing meaning from a range of text
types

recognising that language relates to social contexts and

when social relations change, language may also
change

employing a variety of strategies when interpreting text

such as self-correction, re-reading, reading on, varying
speed, reading aloud, posing questions, checking for
accuracy of information by consulting other texts/people

recognising how supporting material is used effectively

identifying any persuasive devices used by the writer

for example emotive language, biased selection of
materials, use of authority / experts to validate views

comparing information from different sources

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VU21358 Engage with a range of complex texts to participate in the community

de-coding strategies:

Means used by the author to

achieve the purpose of the
text may include:

using a range of word identification strategies,

including: visual and phonic patterns, word derivations
and meanings

recognising ways in which punctuation conveys a range

of emotions or intentions

choice of genre and text structure

choice of language to create subtleties or precise
meaning
use of punctuation effectively to convey a range of
emotions or intentions
logically organised separate pieces of information
arranged within the text

Strategies to analyse texts

may include:

clarifying the purpose of the writer including stated

purpose and inferred purpose
brainstorming activities to discuss features of the text
such as ways in which the text reflects the authors
culture, experiences and value system
identifying key words and phrases critical to gaining
meaning from the text
discussing effect of language choices on effectiveness
of the text for example emotive and descriptive words,
use of slang, use of inclusive pronouns
comparing similar texts in terms of language used or
text structure
discussion of writers voice
comparing ideas
discussion about the effectiveness of writing:

whether it meets the needs of the audience

how it relates to own knowledge and experience

whether the reader is swayed by the argument

Evidence Guide
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the
Elements, Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the
Assessment section in Section B of the Accreditation Submission.

Critical aspects for

assessment and evidence
required to demonstrate
competency in this unit

Assessment must confirm the ability to:

locate, read, interpret and critically evaluate
information in a minimum of 3 different complex,
structurally intricate text types relevant to community
participation, at least one of which must be digitally

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VU21358 Engage with a range of complex texts to participate in the community

based
In order to ensure learners achieve meaningful outcomes
at the qualification level an integrated approach to
assessment should be used, refer to Section B 6.1
Assessment Strategy.
Where this unit is being co-assessed with units related to
another domain, such as personal, the same texts may be
relevant to both domains.
Context of and specific
resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure access to:

real / authentic texts from a community related
environment relevant to the learner
communication technology and software as
appropriate
At this level the learner:
works independently in a range of familiar contexts
uses familiar support resources such as an online
dictionary or thesaurus

Method(s) of assessment

The following assessment methods are suitable for this

unit:
direct observation of the learner interpreting
information in, and making meaning of complex paper
based and digital texts
oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of the
techniques used by writers to achieve their purpose in
text types related to community participation
oral information from the learner assessing the
effectiveness of the selected texts
portfolios containing:

samples of responses to texts

journal / log book of reflections on the texts

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